A Promise Kept
by Avarwen
Summary: He had promised long ago that he would do ANYTHING to get Al his body back. It was time that he kept that promise.


A/N: Depressing. Not much else to say. It was written really quickly and was originally going to be a full-fledged songfic, but then I realised I liked it short and I didn't know how to make it work as a full songfic anyway.

Not sure if I like the title too much, but...

**Disclaimers**: I DO _NOT _OWN ED OR AL OR ROSE or any of the other FMA characters not mentioned in this fic. They belong to other people who, quite frankly, want nothing to do with me. The song lyrics belong to whoever wrote them, and Sarah McLachlan.

**Warnings**: Um... Character Death... And Spoilers for the end of the anime... Oh, and _Angst _(of course). Other than that, I can't think of anything.

A Promise Kept 

_Heaven bend to take my hand  
And lead me through the fire  
Be the long awaited answer  
To a long and painful fight_

Truth be told I've tried my best  
But somewhere along the way  
I got caught up in all there was to offer  
And the cost was so much more than I could bear...

Ed didn't watch as Rose left.

He couldn't bear to.

He'd burned every single bridge in his life so far to make certain he would never be able to do anything but move forward. And this last one... no matter how painful it was... was already in flames. He had set fire to it the moment he had told her to leave and take Wrath the surface with her-- cutting off his ties with the people of this world... and life.

And he surprised himself a little, by not feeling even the smallest traces of fear or doubt as he stepped into the center of the elaborate transmutation circle painted across the floor-- the smaller, less complicated array's covering his forehead, chest and arms already tingling with alchemic energy.

Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to be afraid.

He'd already died twice before, hadn't he? At least this time he would be a willing participant in it... and it would be at least somewhat under his own terms.

Besides, he had promised long ago that he would do _anything _to get Al his body back.

It was time that he kept that promise.

And he refused to let even the barest hints of second-thoughts enter into his mind over this decision. He had given up everything else he had ever had or held dear for his brother already. This was just the final step... hopefully it would be enough...

Ed was actually a little surprised to find that he felt rather... detached from the whole thing.

Numb.

Apparently all his long journey's and fights-- all the pain he and Al had endured over the years-- had been enough, _finally_ _enough_, to steel him for this.

And all he could bring himself to feel was a certain amount of... _relief_, knowing that this was it. He had kept his promise. He was going to do what he probably should have done from the start, but had been unable to because of Al's begging and threats.

And now he could finally offer something up to the gate that would give his brother the life he had deserved and been denied for so long...

Or at least, that was what he hoped.

And the only regret he felt, as he brought his two flesh palms up to press against the array on his chest-- lighting his whole body and filling the room with alchemic power-- was that he wouldn't be there to see it, when Al came back and was flesh and blood and whole once more... And was finally able to smile...

Owari

_Heaven bend to take my hand  
Nowhere left to turn  
I'm lost to those I thought were friends  
To everyone I know  
Oh they turn their heads embarrassed  
Pretend that they don't see  
But it's one missed step  
One slip before you know it  
And there doesn't seem a way to be redeemed..._

A/N: The song in this is "Fallen" by Sarah McLachlan. It's a very beautiful song and, though it may not have too much to do with this fic in general, it is what inspired it.

This song just seems to fit Ed and Al's story almost _perfectly_, and I just love it. If I had a movie making thing and the clips, I'd make an AMV, but I don't, so I'll just have to sit and pout about it until I get one.

In the meantime, don't be afraid to review! I'd love to hear what everybody thinks of the fic! Don't really mind flames either, but no Rips please!


End file.
